This invention pertains generally to pneumatic tire pressure indicators and more particularly to a device for quickly and accurately checking the inflation level of aircraft tires and other pneumatic tires.
With pneumatic tires of the type used on aircraft, automobiles and in other applications, under-inflation is a major cause of premature tire failure, including blowouts. The conventional technique of checking tire pressure requires the steps of removing the valve cap, applying a pressure gauge to the valve stem, reading the pressure, replacing the cap and, in the case of aircraft tires, correcting the pressure reading for temperature differences by reference to a temperature conversion table. This procedure is inconvenient and time consuming, and as a consequence, tire pressures are frequently not checked as often as might otherwise be desirable.
With aircraft tires, which under normal conditions can lose as much as 5 percent of their inflation level per day, it would be advisable to check the pressure before each flight.